How to make an API

[tlr38usd]

How could I make an api for my mod so that a method can be called from a mod support class without it being referenced in any of my main mod files.

 

For example, mod B wants to add a weapon type to my mod, mod A. So when my mod A is loaded a method in mod B's mod support class will activate adding the weapon type to my mod.

 

I know forge has an @ForgeSubscribe function, might I need to look at the source for that to get an example?

[hydroflame]

i know that what you want is "soft dependencies" but im not sure exactly how to set it up, probably check the "Mod" annotation file and you will find it easily

[Mazetar]

How could I make an api for my mod so that a method can be called from a mod support class without it being referenced in any of my main mod files.

 

Have you looked into existing API's to other mods and seen how they work? like the IC2 one?

 

Or even better, the build craft API, since the whole mod is open source

 

[hydroflame]

woups, i didnt read that correctly..

 

in any case you could use reflection and the guava library to detect all class with the ex: @tlr38usdMod and then add all those class/submods to the main

 

but it seems kindof redundant, why don't mod B just add its weapon by itself ?

[tlr38usd]

I'll take a look at the buildcraft API, the forge code left me utterly confused =P

 

woups, i didnt read that correctly..

 

in any case you could use reflection and the guava library to detect all class with the ex: @tlr38usdMod and then add all those class/submods to the main

 

but it seems kindof redundant, why don't mod B just add its weapon by itself ?

 

How would I do that? Reflection / quava libs that is.

 

Also I'm going to be adding all the weapon B mod support files in my own jar, I was just looking for an example. With that in mind though could I run a for loop that gets all the classes in a package and runs a method that way?

[hydroflame]

well look up java reflection on google, theres ton of beautifull content for it (and seiously reflection is soooo sexy )

 

but yeah, basicly make every "submod" implements a interface X

use reflection to find all those class

then use the interface to get the requried information

 

like idk

 

public interface extraMod{

    public List<Item> getExtraItems();

    public List<Block> getExtraBlocks();

    public List<Object> getExtraEventHandlers();

}

[tlr38usd]

Just finished watching this video -

 

From what I understood, reflection is awesome. Wish I had known about it before, could have solved a lot of problems I was having =D

 

However I don't understand how to use it to get subclasses, or classes that implement an interface.

 

Everything else I can do.

[hydroflame]

However I don't understand how to use it to get subclasses, or classes that implement an interface.

that more a question of knowing exactly which function to use

 

in the case to check is some class is child of another

 

Parent.class.isAssignableFrom(PotentialChild.class);

 

or if you're usign an object:

 

Parent.class.isAssignableFrom(myObject.getClass());

 

 

in a minecraft related example:

 

Block.class.isAssignableFrom(BlockOre.class)

 

will return always true because BlockOre extends Block

 

same thing for interfaces

 

ISimpleBlockRenderingHandler.class.isAssignableFrom(MyISBRH.class)

 

will return true because MyISBRH implements ISimpleBlockRenderingHandler

[tlr38usd]

How would I get all of the potentialChild classes or objects? If I had a list or an array I'd have to manually add to it whenever I was adding support. If there's no better way I guess I could do it, but I'd like it to be completely dynamic.

[hydroflame]

thats the beauty, you DONT have to know what are the child class

 

		List<Object> classList = new ArrayList<Object>();
		ClassPath cp = ClassPath.from(TheMod.class.getClassLoader());
		for(ClassPath.ClassInfo info: cp.getTopLevelClassesRecursive("com.hydroflame")){//iterate every class in my mod
			Class c;

				c = Class.forName(info.getName());//get the class for the name aka this will get EVERY class one by one
				if(MyInterface.class.isAssignableFrom(c)){
                                                List weapons = ((MyInterface)c.newInstance()).getNewWeapons();//retreive the new weapons from the class 
                                        }

 

sorry about formatting

 

and

 

i remove all try catch block to make it easier to read

[tlr38usd]

Thank you so much! I had seen a solution similar to that on google, but it really helped to see it in context =D